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February 1, 2012

Q&A w/ KELLI TRONTEL

What three adjectives would you use to best describe your personality?
I asked Reed [my husband] to answer this for me and he came up with the “3 p’s” :: Passionate, Purposeful and Positive.

How did photography begin for you?
Photography has always intrigued me…however I was heavily into music and
songwriting while growing up [yes, I was on Star Search when I was 12
years old!]. My dream was to live in Nashville and pursue music, but God
had other plans for me in Music City.

There was a series of events that lead me to the place of starting my
own photography business. One of them was being on staff for the Luis
Palau Nashville Cityfest, where I took a season off from music…..and
really opened my heart and my mind to a bigger picture of life. A life
that didn’t revolve around MY DREAMS and what I WANTED to do, but what I
was CREATED for. Big difference.

I was eventually at a crossroads with music and photography. It was
either my bandmates or clients who took a backseat and that was not
cool. I was really feeling that push and pull to commit to one or the
other….and to do that one thing in excellence. At that time, I was
surrounded by some of the greatest photographers in town, who took me
under their wing and encouraged and shaped this other creative side in
me.

Why the move to Whitefish, Montana from Nashville, TN?
My husband is also an entrepreneur and is from Montana. Ever since we
got married…he has talked about moving back to the Northwest, which I
would I always reply with…”I AM NEVER MOVING TO MONTANA!!” haha.
Hilarious, right?

Well, an opportunity came up for us to partner together and start our
very own business- so we sold our house and moved to Whitefish to open
up the RED CABOOSE Frozen Yogurt + Coffee.
I am eating my words about Montana- it’s an incredible place to live
and I love that I get to work side by side with my husband each day! We
opened our shop on February 25 of this year!

What inspires you?
LIFE. It sounds strange, but the truth is….life is short. My limited
time on this earth inspires me to create and make my time count. 2o1o
was a really rough year for me- I lost both my dad and little sister,
and my perspective on time has changed….therefore what I put my hands to
each day really matters.
On a lighter note…little details, fashion, music and love inspire me daily.

How has photography changed you as a person?
Photography has given me a voice. It’s ironic, I know…but I’ve never
felt so confident in my life. I have always been a people person and my
camera has served as a vehicle to really get to know people. It has
given me an opportunity to share life with complete strangers…and help
them tell their own story.

Who is your favorite friend? I’ll help you, her name starts with a “V” …
VANESSA! Of course….so many memories! So many adventures! I love you, friend!

What brings you the most joy?
My husband. He is so inspiring and steady.

Who do you admire in the field of photography?
Goodness, there are so many!! Amy Wenzel is high on the list. She’s real. She’s authentic.

What was your most enjoyable experience when you last collaborated with another creative?
My latest collaboration was with Jake Bramante of Silent Matter
Productions and Vanessa for our JOLT promo video. It was amazing to me
that we could create such a video while living in Montana and Texas.
Technology blows my mind. I love that distance doesn’t have to come in
between creativity.
I absolutely loved working with Jake- he brought a new level of
enthusiasm and energy into JOLT as we were getting the idea up and
running!

So, ten years from now … what does life look like?
I’d love for our family to grow and to be continuing to pour into other peoples lives.

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Kelli + Vanessa is a collaborative lifestyle blog that combines creativity, passion & a crazy love of motherhood. Our hope is that this blog becomes a source of inspiration & encouragement to those who are already moms ... or dream of being one someday.